The Palisades Traverse is a classic alpine ridge traverse that connects the summits of five of California's fourteen thousand foot peaks. My old climbing partner Gil and I attempted the route in October of 2007 and were snowed out during the night at the base of (what we thought was) Thunderbolt Peak (14,003').

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Alpine bouquet

Over the holiday weekend, me and my friends Jake and Kam were eager to give it a shot. We hit the road on Thursday around 2 p.m. and made the long drive up to Bishop. We tried to leave early enough but ended up hitting the holiday weekend traffic and arriving at South Lake trail head parking lot around 10 p.m. We set up our bivy in the parking lot and were asleep by 11 p.m. and two hours later, the alarm sounded and we were gearing up to hit the trail.

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Alpenglow

We were on the trail by 2:30  a.m. on Friday morning for the ~8-mile approach via Bishop Pass trail. We moved quickly through the darkness guided by the light of our headlamps, only making quick stops to shed/add layers and eat snacks. We hit some snow patches above 11,000’ and reached Bishop Pass and topped off our water from a mountain stream in Dusy Basin before the ascent of what we thought was Thunderbolt Peak…

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Jake, kicking steps for us

On the way up, we negotiated some fourth/fifth-class scrambling/climbing while one of our team members started to suffer from the altitude. We reached the first peak behind schedule, only to discover we were on the summit of Mount Agassiz (13,899’), one of the twenty highest peaks of California. From there, we could see across to Thunderbolt Peak, where we were supposed to be.

Yes folks, we climbed the wrong mountain.

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From right to left: Thunderbolt Peak, Starlight Peak, North Palisade, Polemonium Peak, Mt Sill

So behind schedule and off-route, we decided to pull the plug and head back to San Diego. Our down-climb was a blast, as we glissaded a 1000’ patch of snow which boosted our morale while saving time and energy which we really needed. We got back to the car at 6:30 p.m. making for a 16-hour day on our feet and then took on the 6-hour drive home after dinner in Bishop to arrive back in San Diego at 3 a.m. on Saturday. ~36 hours from sea level to 13,899’ and back--what a trip!

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Jake and Kam

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Kam, finishing her glissade

I think its pretty funny that we climbed the wrong mountain and in all honesty, I’m glad we did. When I saw with my own eyes the magnitude of this route, I think it would have taken too much out of me to this close to the Vermont 100, my “A” race for the season. So with that, I had a great time with my friends and got a killer workout at altitude amongst some of the most beautiful scenery my eyes have ever seen. Kam and I are already planning our next attempt for August and this time, we plan to bivy at the base of the real Thunderbolt Peak on Day 1 and then take on the full route and the descent on Day 2. More details on that in late July.

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Next up, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run on 7/18 – 7/19 I fly out Thursday to celebrate my 26th birthday with family and friends this weekend and then make my way up north to get ready to race. I’ll post updates on the go and a recap here following the event. Thanks again for joining me on all these adventures!

[Watch the Slideshow | http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobyguillette/sets/72157620820675857/show/]

Overview: Last weekend I camped in Joshua Tree National Park, went trail running, shot photos of my friends climbing, started a new book and enjoyed a roaring campfire with my friends.

-Photo by Haunani

Joshua Tree group trip: The trip was a blast as usual. I got to hang with bunch of good friends and get to know some cool new folks too. They all went rock climbing during the day while I ran the Boy Scout trail to Indian Cove and back to redeem myself for my trial run on that route a year ago that resulted in a day-long punishment report. Last year I lost the trail early and was lost in a wonderland of boulders the size of buildings with out water or food. I also lost my favorite running shirt somewhere out there too. I know this was not intelligent. To prove I learned my lesson, I returned this year wearing my hydration pack and ran the 18-mile out-and-back route in 3 hours and ran another 2 miles between hitching rides back to camp all in less than 4 hours.

Here’s the map of the route.

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View in satellite mode to see the massive boulder fields

Photos: I shot photos of my friends climbing on Sunday morning before our 3-hour drive back to San Diego. Below are a few of my favorites the rest are on my Flickr photo site. 

New Book: I started reading Alaska Tracks, Footprints in the Big Country from Ambler to Attu by Ned Rozell after my trail run on Saturday. Rozell is a contributing editor and outdoor/natural history column writer for Alaska Magazine . His paperback is a collection of adventures throughout the Alaskan backcountry where his experiences in nature parallel his own personal and professional growth. This book was recommended to me by my editor since publishing in this or similar form is one of my longer-term career goals.   So far I’ve finally started to realize how much work it’s going to take to get there. As you know, I enjoy working hard and I’m excited to take on the challenge. Just imagine another few years of crazy adventures, photos, video, races, travel and experiences all neatly packaged and delivered to you by yours truly

Holidays: I love the holidays because it’s the one of the only times I see my family. My trip back east begins Friday night and I’ll be working remotely until the second week of January. I’m so excited to “visit” New England and do all the traditional stuff we do as a family. Each year I look forward to it more than the last.

Recap: I’ll be sure to check in and update my blog once a week so check back and be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed if you haven’t already for auto-delivery. 

Winter night in Downtown San Diego

Links of interest this month:

Monarch School

Outdoor Outreach

Pro Península

The Sedona Marathon

Southern California Ultra Series

4-Hour Work Week

Pacific Crest Trail

San Juan Hut System

Coastal Challenge

Yurtcation

Overachievement

Blurb.com

Last night, I installed aero bars and a forward angled seat post to convert my road bike to a triathlon setup. I received some helpful tips from folks in the discussion boards so if you’re ever looking to make the switch, check out our dialogue: Road to Tri bike conversions.

Tomorrow morning, I’m meeting Airey and jesse@active for a 50-mile ride to test this new positioning. It’s going to be important to pay close-attention to my biomechanics because new muscles will be activated. There will be more stress on my neck, lower-back and hamstrings. I’m looking forward to the change in my training to prepare for the Ford Ironman 70.3 California.

I'm going to hit the lap pool on Sunday morning and enjoy another non-impact active recover/triathlon training session. Carrie Smith has kindly provided the following swim workout:

500 swim

8x50

300 swim

2x100

100 swim

The Avalon 50 took a lot out of me both physically and mentally. I’ve been resting all week, eating healthy and getting to sleep early each night. I’ve used the muscle stick for massage and a yoga class to salvage flexibility so my body has recovered from the soreness and my hips are no longer tight. Along with the physical repercussions, mentally, I’ve been in a slump all week and I’m finally beginning to come out of it. It’s hard to explain the way I’ve felt, but it’s actually been pretty depressing. It’s kind of scary for me because I am always so positive, no matter what, and this week has been a challenged to keep an upbeat attitude.

Despite the “runner’s low,” each day has been better than the last and I’ve used this time to reflect on my accomplishments in 2007 and also plan out 2008. This past year has been a dream--just look at this list of activities!

2008 is going to be a big year and I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you all. Over the course of this year, I am going to train and compete in effort to build my endurance for the main event in October: The San Diego 100.

Please join me for another awesome year in adventure!!!

2008 race preview:

In anticipation of a busy three-day weekend in the park, our friend Austin left San Diego at 1 p.m. on Friday in route to Joshua Tree National Park. Austin, who had the day off, secured a campsite in Ryan Campground for the rest of us, who arrived just before 10 p.m. that night. Saturday morning, Gil and I climbed the large headstone next to our campsite before breakfast. At the top of the route, we met a climber from British Columbia who was on a climbing trip with his girlfriend from Italy. He snapped a few photos of us climbing which he promised to email to me. We invited them to join us that night at our campfire and they accepted the invitation.

Photo by Gil Weiss

Gil and I returned to the group and started cooking breakfast. I like to call this meal the lumberjack special. This hearty concoction consists of two eggs, two sausage links, two strips of bacon, fresh guacamole and salsa inside a whole wheat tortilla wrap. When served with a banana, a glass of OJ and a mug of coffee, this meal will provide all the nourishment one needs before a day outdoors.

Our group, ranging from a first time camper and newbie climbers to skilled lead climbers, set off to hike, climb and explore the park. We climbed a series of routes in the morning as a group and split up around mid-day. I led a brief four-mile hike to the top of a 5,000-foot hilltop and returned to meet up with the group before the early nightfall. Austin and I prepared a buffet-style taco dinner for the group as the temperatures dropped, and we all gathered by the fire to keep warm.



Sunday morning we all were awake and cooking breakfast by 8 a.m. The temperature was much warmer compared to Saturday. After breakfast, we broke down our camp and set off to hike, climb and explore the park for the day. I took a bunch of photos of the native plant life and the beautiful scenery that the park has to offer. We left the park as the sun began to set and returned to San Diego by 9 p.m. on Sunday night.

This trip was filled with good people and entertaining activities in a beautiful setting. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate friendship and shared passion for the outdoors. I hope my words and pictures excite that inner-adventurer in all of you.

Until next time, Active Toby

My climbing partner, Gil (aka Mountainroad) and I attempted the Palisade Traverse this past weekend which began with a 5.5-mile approach-hike from South Lake trailhead (9,755 feet elevation) on Friday morning. The trail was well-maintained and we acclimated by sleeping in the parking lot the night before, allowing us to hold a quick pace from the start. It began to snow when we reached Long Lake and continued to snow for the remainder of the hike until we reached Bishop Pass (11,960 feet). We knew snow was in the forecast, but didn’t realize it would start so early in the day. The snow let up while establishing base camp (12,200 feet) just below the chute to Thunderbolt Peak, which we planned to ascend at 4:30 a.m. the next morning.

While replenishing our water supply in an alpine lake, the sky became a darker gray and the snow began to fall again, but this time at a heavier rate with steady accumulation. As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped to the high-20s, giving me the opportunity to fully appreciate the warmth of my brand-new zero-degree down sleeping bag (Thanks, Mom and Dad!).

By morning, a fresh foot of powder blanketed everything in sight, including the chute to Thunderbolt peak, the first on our list of peaks for the Palisade Traverse. It was obvious at this point that we were snowed-out because the route would be too dangerous to negotiate.

Immediately, our focus shifted to staying warm, so we quickly broke-down our camp and packed our bags for the descent. The sun had yet to crest the ridge and it was still frigid. The hike back to the car was gorgeous. We were in a winter wonderland and were motivated by the thoughts of a hearty breakfast at Jack’s Restaurant in Bishop.

After our meal, we headed across the street and rented a bouldering crash pad from Wilson's Eastside Sports for $10 to use at The Buttermilks, a world-class rock climbing area. A crash pad breaks a climber’s fall when climbing without a rope no more than 20-feet in height. It’s the duty of the spotter to redirect the trajectory of a falling climber, so they land on the crash pad and not the ground.

Gil and I climbed in the warmth of the sun at The Buttermilks for the rest of the day. When the sun dropped behind the front range of the Sierra Nevada we set up camp nearby. I’ve crafted an Active Video from my weekend adventure using pictures, video clips and music composed by my manager, Rob Costlow. Enjoy!

I woke at 3:30 a.m. to the beat of my heart working hard to counterbalance the altitude. I had been at sea level in San Diego less than a day ago and had just spent a restless night camped at 12,000 feet. My watch alarm was set to go off at 4 a.m., making me solely responsible for waking my three companions for our big day.

Our two-hour approach to get to the base of Mount Russell, the eighth-highest mountain in California, consisted of a 1,000-foot elevation gain that traversed a massive boulder-covered ridge. We marched through the darkness guided by the dim glow of our headlamps which we turned off when the sun’s rays finally crested the ridge and began to warm the bitter cold rock face.

Gil and I got organized and roped up while Jake and Albert started climbing the first pitch at 8:30 a.m. Albert and Jake went first because they would be moving faster while alternating who was on lead and who was following. The lead climber carefully places spring-loaded camming devices in the rock. When a spring-loaded trigger wire is pulled, it retracts to make the device narrower. This allows the climber to slide the unit inside a crack. When the trigger is released, the cams expand to fit the rock and then the rope is clipped into the device to prevent the climber from falling. Once the leader makes it to the top of the pitch, an anchor is set for the follower to begin removing the camming devices while climbing to where the leader is stationed.

Gil’s level of experience with leading routes far surpassed my limited knowledge, so it was quite simple: He would lead all seven pitches of the climb and I would follow. This was the most efficient means for our 1,000-foot rock climb to the 14,088-foot summit of Mount Russell.

We estimated the climb itself would take eight hours, providing ample time to think over each move and be as careful as possible. Gil was strong on lead all day as he negotiated each move and placement of gear in the rock.

We powered our way up each pitch, and remained calm and focused even when the freezing-cold hail storm closed in on us while fully exposed on pitch five. The winds and hail pinned us against the mountainside for an hour until the storm continued north through the Sierra Nevada.

This pitch was rated the hardest pitch of the day by the guide book. The fact that my hands were wet and numb made it a formidable challenge. I literally had to wipe the hail off of the rock in search of hand holds while climbing with a 20-pound backpack.

The panoramic view from the summit was impressive. Getting to the top was incredible but by no means the most challenging aspect of our day. It was five o’clock in the afternoon and we still had a 2,000-foot descent to our base camp through the massive boulder field. By the time we packed up base camp and began the 3,500-foot descent of Mount Whitney’s mountaineer’s route, it was 8:30 p.m. This was the most difficult part of our day—each lugging 45 pounds on our backs down what at the time seemed like an endless staircase of switchbacks into the darkness below. Arriving at the car by 11:30 p.m. was a great relief to the group as we all were showing signs of extreme exhaustion.

After nourishment from a local late-night diner, we began the final leg of our journey: a four-hour drive back to San Diego during which my watch alarm sounded for the second time that day. We all took turns driving to battle the severe onset of exhaustion and arrived home safely after our 26-hour day.

This was the first installment in my journey to climb all 15 peaks in California over 14,000 feet. Please watch my ActiveVideo and be sure to join me on my next journey. Active Toby